Ecclesiastes 2:26
God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
Catholic Public Domain Version
In The King James Version
In Context
25So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
Cross References
Genesis 7:1And the Lord said to him: “Enter the ark, you and all your house. For I have seen you to be just in my sight, within this generation.
Job 27:16If he will amass silver as if it were dirt and fabricate garments as if they were clay,
Job 32:8But I see now that there is only breath in men, and that it is the inspiration of the Almighty that gives understanding.
Proverbs 3:13Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
Proverbs 28:8Whoever piles up riches by usury and profit gathers them for him who will give freely to the poor.
Isaiah 3:10Tell the just man that it is well, for he shall eat from the fruit from his own plans.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 2:18-26
Sources of Dissatisfaction; The Cheerful Use of Abundance. 17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also… Read the whole commentary →